1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable hand tool, and more specifically a portable hand tool used for deforming a sheet of material such as sheet metal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various portable hand tools are known in the art for deforming a portion of a sheet of material, e.g., sheet metal. One application for the portable hand tool is for deforming a groove into the sheet of material to form a siding panel for a building. The portable hand tool is sized such that it is easily transported to a site of the building so that the sheet of material is deformed at the site of the building prior to installation onto the building.
The portable hand tool deforms the groove in the sheet of material to strengthen and reinforce the siding panel. The groove reinforces the sheet of material to reduce the tendency of the sheet of material to bend. The groove also eliminates rippling that occurs when a nail is driven through the siding panel to hang the siding panel on the building. Such rippling is referred to by those skilled in the art as “oil canning.” Specifically, the nail is driven through the siding panel in the groove and the groove prevents rippling of the sheet beyond the groove. The groove is also aesthetically pleasing.
An example of a portable hand tool is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,585 (the '585 patent) to Haushahn, et al. The '585 patent discloses the portable hand tool having a frame for guiding the sheet of material. First and second shafts are spaced from each other and are selectively slideable relative to the frame to define a plurality of adjustment positions. A first roller is engaged with the first shaft and a second roller is engaged with the second shaft for deforming a portion of the sheet of material between the rollers. The shafts are moved relative to the frame between the adjustment positions to adjust the location of the rollers along the sheet of material, thereby adjusting the location of the groove along the sheet of material. An adjustment rod is mounted to the frame and extends outwardly from said frame. A support interconnects and is fixed in position relative to the shafts and an adjustment device is rotatably engaged with the support for movement with the shafts relative to the adjustment rod between the adjustment positions. Specifically, the adjustment rod defines external threads and the adjustment device defines internal threads receiving the external threads of the adjustment device.
To adjust the location of the groove to be formed on the sheet of material, the adjustment device is rotated to move the internal threads of the adjustment device relative to the exterior threads of the adjustment rod to translate the adjustment device relative the adjustment rod. As such, the support and the shafts move laterally relative to the frame. As the shafts move laterally, the rollers move laterally relative to the frame.
Notably, the threaded interaction between the external threads of the adjustment rod and the internal threads of the adjustment device provides the only mode of movement between the adjustment positions. In other words, the translation of the adjustment device associated with the movement of the internal threads relative to the external threads adjusts the position of the rollers relative to the frame. As such, when the rollers must be moved a relatively long distance between adjustment positions, the adjustment device must be rotated several turns to make such a relatively large adjustment. Such an adjustment that requires several turns of the adjustment device is ergonomically unsatisfactory and is disadvantageously time consuming.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to design a portable hand tool that allows for quick adjustments of the shafts and rollers between adjustment positions, i.e., adjustment of the rollers relative to the frame.